1. Technical Field
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a tape carrier package (TCP) and a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having the TCP. More particularly, example embodiments of the present invention relate to a TCP capable of preventing misalignments and an LCD device having the TCP.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a display device processes data in an information processing device to be displayed as certain images that can be recognized by a user. Flat panel display devices are widely used due to their light weight and high resolution.
The flat panel display devices, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panel (PDP) devices and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices are being developed as alternatives to cathode ray tube (CRT) devices.
For example, an LCD device is an example of a flat panel display device, and displays an image using liquid crystal. The LCD device is thin and light and requires low power consumption and a low driving voltage.
The LCD device includes a plurality of pixels defined by gate lines and source lines. The LCD device includes a display area displaying an image and a peripheral area surrounding the display area.
In addition, to display a certain image, the LCD device requires a driving integrated circuit (IC) converting an image applied from an external device into a driving signal to provide the driving signal to a display panel.
Methods for mounting the driving IC on the display panel of the LCD device include a chip-on-film (COF) or tape carrier package (TCP) method, in which the driving IC is mounted on a film, and a chip-on-glass (COG) method, in which the driving IC is directly mounted on the display panel.
The TCP includes one side bonded to a side of the display panel and another side bonded to a printed circuit board (PCB). The bonding of the TCP may be accomplished by an outer lead bonding (OLB) process using temperature and pressure.
However, the temperature and the pressure according to the OLB process transform the shape of the film. Accordingly, spaces of output pads formed on the output pad portion of the TCP are different from spaces of the input pads foamed on the lower substrate, so that when the TCP is attached to the lower substrate, a misalignment may be generated.
When the output pad portion of the TCP is one-to-one connected to the input pad portion of the lower substrate, the misalignment between the output pads and the input pads may be larger from a center portion toward an edge of the base film, thereby generating defects such as electrical shorts between the output pads and the input pads.